Title: SONS OF SEASON - Gods of Vermin
Description: SONS OF SEASON Gods of Vermin
Description: SONS OF SEASON Gods of Vermin
metal4life - May 10, 2009 08:05 AM (GMT)
SONS OF SEASON
Gods of Vermin
Napalm 2009
Yet another new band from the increasingly hefty Napalm Records roster rears it's ugly head to play metal of a variety that the label is very used to producing. This band is the side project of Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai and sees him and his bandmates delve into slightly different styles of metal. There are some similarities between Sons of Seasons and Kamelot in the sense that they are both playing melodic prog power metal with grandiose elements however Kamelot sounds much more theatrical and epic thanks to Khan's amazing vocals. SoS is an altogether darker and less extravagant listening experience.
SoS utilises less operatic vocal wailings but not to say that the singing doesn't have it's own merits. He actually sometimes reminds me of a slightly less aggressive Russell Allen of Symphony X fame, however there are occasions where he can sound quite flat. The music itself is more progressive sounding than what can be heard in Oliver's day job in Kamelot. There are sections which showcase intricate riffing which follow on to quieter more introspective, darker moments. The track A Blind Man's Resolution is the perfect example of this mix of progressive and power elements and features a better chorus than expected and is perhaps the best song on the CD.
The sound production on the record is pretty perfect as you would expect.Good seperation between the instruments and each is allowed to shine whilst not dominating the sonicscape. Fallen Family utilises both aggressive male and sweet female vocals to pretty good effect and is the most aggressive song on the record, coming across as almost Nevermore like with fast thrashy riffing mixed with neo-classical shredding and angelic lilting vocal acrobatics. However the song itself whilst impressive musically is not enamoured with the kind of addictive hook that would send the listener into raptures. The same applies to Belial's Tower which as the name would suggest is a pretty damn heavy track with thundering riff passages which is what the real metal fans are after. More songs in this vein would have been better but alas it is quite a rare occurrence overall.
And there lies the main problem with the SoS debut record. Oliver and co needed to concentrate their efforts in providing more in the way of vocal melodies and hooks for the listener. Musically speaking they have nothing to be ashamed of at all and can hold their heads high with their peers however their song craft is rather average to be perfectly honest. The varied vocal work also leaves me frustrated as sometimes it does sound rather good and powerful indeed but then at other times a sense of under performance and general flatness manifests profusely.
SoS have made a decent start, however I must admit that I expected more from a man who has the keyboard slot in a great band like Kamelot. It does differ a fair bit from his main band admittedly and this is perhaps a good thing, but I just expected a Little more in the way of attack and a slightly punchier delivery. This CD never really gets the juices flowing apart from a couple of occasions and the blood never pumps with those wonderful swirling dramatic keyboard flurries and the over the top, pompous vocal arrangements are sorely missed. If Oliver didn't have the background that he has in Kamelot, this would be a pretty solid start and you can add an extra half point to my score but I feel that this is a bit of a missed opportunity on this occasion. A bit of a hit and miss affair but a solid base on which to build on next time round.
© Pirage Forsi
Rating *** (3.0/5.0)
Buy @ Amazon
Gods of Vermin
Napalm 2009
Yet another new band from the increasingly hefty Napalm Records roster rears it's ugly head to play metal of a variety that the label is very used to producing. This band is the side project of Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai and sees him and his bandmates delve into slightly different styles of metal. There are some similarities between Sons of Seasons and Kamelot in the sense that they are both playing melodic prog power metal with grandiose elements however Kamelot sounds much more theatrical and epic thanks to Khan's amazing vocals. SoS is an altogether darker and less extravagant listening experience.
SoS utilises less operatic vocal wailings but not to say that the singing doesn't have it's own merits. He actually sometimes reminds me of a slightly less aggressive Russell Allen of Symphony X fame, however there are occasions where he can sound quite flat. The music itself is more progressive sounding than what can be heard in Oliver's day job in Kamelot. There are sections which showcase intricate riffing which follow on to quieter more introspective, darker moments. The track A Blind Man's Resolution is the perfect example of this mix of progressive and power elements and features a better chorus than expected and is perhaps the best song on the CD.
The sound production on the record is pretty perfect as you would expect.Good seperation between the instruments and each is allowed to shine whilst not dominating the sonicscape. Fallen Family utilises both aggressive male and sweet female vocals to pretty good effect and is the most aggressive song on the record, coming across as almost Nevermore like with fast thrashy riffing mixed with neo-classical shredding and angelic lilting vocal acrobatics. However the song itself whilst impressive musically is not enamoured with the kind of addictive hook that would send the listener into raptures. The same applies to Belial's Tower which as the name would suggest is a pretty damn heavy track with thundering riff passages which is what the real metal fans are after. More songs in this vein would have been better but alas it is quite a rare occurrence overall.
And there lies the main problem with the SoS debut record. Oliver and co needed to concentrate their efforts in providing more in the way of vocal melodies and hooks for the listener. Musically speaking they have nothing to be ashamed of at all and can hold their heads high with their peers however their song craft is rather average to be perfectly honest. The varied vocal work also leaves me frustrated as sometimes it does sound rather good and powerful indeed but then at other times a sense of under performance and general flatness manifests profusely.
SoS have made a decent start, however I must admit that I expected more from a man who has the keyboard slot in a great band like Kamelot. It does differ a fair bit from his main band admittedly and this is perhaps a good thing, but I just expected a Little more in the way of attack and a slightly punchier delivery. This CD never really gets the juices flowing apart from a couple of occasions and the blood never pumps with those wonderful swirling dramatic keyboard flurries and the over the top, pompous vocal arrangements are sorely missed. If Oliver didn't have the background that he has in Kamelot, this would be a pretty solid start and you can add an extra half point to my score but I feel that this is a bit of a missed opportunity on this occasion. A bit of a hit and miss affair but a solid base on which to build on next time round.
© Pirage Forsi
Rating *** (3.0/5.0)
Buy @ Amazon